Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-05

COL. r. NJ. JOHNSON, of this conSecrated
bed, within twenty feet of Theodore
O'Hara, was the spot selected fer the eter-
nal sleep of Richard NJ. johnson. The
tomb rests on granite base, and was
built of Italian marble by r. E. Lau-
nitz, of New York. 1t has pedestal
about eight feet square and six feet high, on
which stands a truncated column ten
feet in height, capped by an eagle
treading a Union shield Col. johnson
was the third son of Col. Robert johnson,
of Kentucky. His early education was some
what limited. AS he approached man
hood, however, he subjected himself to
severe study, and was graduated by the
Pennsylvania university, at Lexington, the
first university west Of the Alleghanies
Among its graduates were Jefferson Davis,
Thomas F. Marshall and Robert j. Brecken-
ridge. johnson received instruction in law
under Hon. James Brown, afterward United
States senator from Louisiana and minister
to the court of France. Before he had at
tanned the age of 81 he was elected by acrla-
nation from Scott county to a seat in the
legislature, and at the expiration of his term,
or at the age of "a years, promoted to a seat
in the lower house Of congress. While a
member of congress he gave his vote tor
a declaration of war with Great Britain, and
afterward raised a regiment of Kentucky
volunteers, of which be was elected colonel
and joined the forces under William II. Har-
rison, governor Of Indiana, and subsequently
general in the army and prcailcc. CT tie
United States. The Indians allied with the
British troops had been committing great
depretlations i'll Illinois, southern Michigan
and Indiana, destroying property and
massacring the inhabitants, and at the
battles of Tipiecanoe, in 1911, ani River
n -, l., L..
killed the flower of the Kentucky volunteers,
among whom were the eloquent Attorney
General Joe Hamilton Daviess (who had
prosecuted Aaron Burr for conspiracy and
Others. Consequently when the Ken
tuckians were brought face to face at
the Thames, in October, 1913, with
the savages under the celebrated chief
Tecumseh, they were goaded to the desperate
purpose of wreaking vengeance for their
slaughtered citizens and kindred. Col. John
son divided his regiment with his brother,
who was detailed to charge the English,
while with the other half he himself led the
attack upon the Indians in the swamp. As
the enemy failed to come from under cover,
Col. johnson at the head of twenty men
pushed forward in advance of his troops, and
met blaze of fire from the guns of the
Indians, which laid nineteen of the twenty on
the ground, severely wounded the gallant
colonel and caused the mare he rode to
StagGer and fall to her knees. The rest of
his command ran to the rescue and the
Indians reiterated. In speaking of his con-
duct at this battle in after years he said:
~ noticed chisf among the Indians who
succeeded in rallying them three different
times. This thought l would endeavor to
prevent. l advanced singly upon him, keep
ing my right arm close by my side and COW
cred by the swamp He took a tree and
thence deliberately fired at me. Although
prev iously had four balls i'll me, this last
wound was more acutey painful than ali of
them. His ball struck INC on the kru kle of
the left hand, passed through my hand and
came out just above my wrist. l ran my
left hard through my bride rein, for my
hand instantly swelled and became useless
Tie Indian supposed he had mortally